dairy Archives - Community Food Co-op

Grace Harbor Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

David Lukens (left) is the second generation to step into a lead role on the family farm, established by Grace and Tim Lukens in the late 1990s.

Local farm does it all: soothing soaps & lotions and delicious dairy products.

My co-workers all know: I love goats! When I’m awwwing or giggling at something on the computer it is likely to be a video shared by a goat farmer. Or, how about that issue of Modern Farmer that was all about goats! In August 2015, there was one of those essay contests to win a goat farm; so tempting, but the farm was in Alabama (not so tempting).

But, I’m not the only one who thinks goats are awesome. The folks at Grace Harbor Farms, and their loyal customers, also know that goats and goat milk are something special.

Tim and Grace Lukens started making and selling goat milk soap at the Bellingham Farmers Market back in 1999, and soon after, they were fielding requests from their customers to expand the product line to include goat milk lotions. People were sharing stories about how the couple’s goat milk products were helping to clear up their skin problems, and before long Grace Harbor Farms was born.

The family-run business, based in Custer, has grown a lot since those early days, and so has the product line.

Co-op shoppers can find products sporting the Grace Harbor Farms logo in both the wellness and grocery departments.

In the wellness department, things are still very goat-centric with a variety of liquid and bar soaps, unscented Goat Milk & Honey Lotion, and the super-popular MSM Cream that folks use to find relief from a variety of problems like dry skin and joint pain. While over in the dairy cooler, cows are moooving in on the action with delicious buttermilk and yogurt from cow’s milk, and kefirs and milk from both cow and goat’s milk.

toddler walking next to cows on grace harbor farm

Ellie Lavergne, daughter of marketing manager Kayti Lavergne, enjoys visiting with her curious cow friends—a perk of being part of the employee family. Farm employees also gather daily to share another perk—a home cooked, family-style lunch.

The farm itself has also transitioned from being very goat-centric to now being home to pasture-raised Guernsey and Jersey cows. The goats are raised and milked in Ferndale at Wil-O-Acres Goat Dairy, the very same farm where Tim and Grace got their first two goats back in the 1990s.

The family has always operated a creamery to bottle and package their dairy products right on the farm. In fact, Grace Harbor was the first farm-to-shelf yogurt kefir producer in Washington state. Their farm-fresh milk is pasteurized, cultured, packaged, and delivered to our stores by the Grace Harbor team.

Grace Harbor Farms is now transitioning to the second generation of the Lukens family, with David Lukens at the helm. From the look of things, David is running a super fun operation! This year Grace Harbor held its first Creamery Olympics and it appears that the participants had a blast competing in events like the milk crate hurdles, bottle toss, box-making relay, rack curling, and many more. Need a smile today? Then check out the fun Olympic coverage on their Facebook page.

In our eyes, Grace Harbor Farms wins the gold!

cows in grass on farm in sun, rainbow and trees in background

A lovely rainbow appears above the picturesque pasture at Grace Harbor Farms.

Drink Up the Benefits of Organic Milk

Most of us have been there. Standing at the dairy case and comparing milk prices, then wondering if it’s worth spending the extra bit of money for organic. Wonder no more.

A Washington State University study has confirmed the benefits of organic milk, finding that “organic milk contains significantly higher concentrations of heart-healthy fatty acids compared to milk from cows on conventionally managed dairy farms. While all types of milk fat can help improve an individual’s fatty acid profile, the team concludes that organic whole milk does so even better.”

Why? The short answer is that cows on organic dairy farms are pasture raised and spend their days outside grazing on a variety of grasses and legumes, and they are raised hormone and antibiotic free. As compared to conventionally raised cows that spend their days in barns, or otherwise confined, are fed a diet high in corn and soy (both at high risk to be GMO), and are treated with large doses of antibiotics and hormones.

The resulting human health benefits from organic milk include 62 percent more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA which is an omega-3 that cannot be found in fish, and 25 percent fewer omega-6s (unhealthy fats found in disproportionately high levels in the American diet). You may also want to note that many nutritionists now recommend whole milk, rather than 2 percent or skim, as it provides more beneficial omega-3s since skimming off the milk fat also skims off the omega-3s.

Even our environment benefits from organic milk, because of the careful stewardship of organic dairy farmers who maintain healthy pastures free of GMO crops, persistent pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.

The Co-op carries two high-quality brands of organic milk, Organic Valley and Fresh Breeze Organic. Organic Valley is a nationwide dairy cooperative. In the Northwest region 27 farms provide milk to the cooperative. Among them are Hans and Colleen Wolfisberg, owners of Edelweiss Dairy and Organic Valley members since 2005. Some of you may have visited their picturesque 80-acre farm along the Nooksack River in Everson during a recent Whatcom County Farm Tour. Another local Organic Valley farmer is Andrew Dykstra, one of the first dairy farms in Skagit County to earn organic certification and join the Organic Valley cooperative.

The Co-op’s other brand of organic milk comes from Fresh Breeze Organic Dairy, a fifth-generation Lynden dairy farm located on property homesteaded by the family in 1901. They bottle their organic milk right on the farm—and it doesn’t get any fresher than that.

So, here’s to your health—and to the health of dairy cows and our environment. Enjoy some peace of mind knowing that the benefits you reap from purchasing organic milk far outweigh the small extra expense.

by Laura Steiger, Publications Editor

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by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

by Laura Steiger, Publications Editor

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